Queensland rolls out smart pedestrian crossings

6 days The Australian state of Queensland is to introduce ‘smart’ technology at up to 300 pedestrian crossings.

Transport and main roads minister Mark Bailey said that following the success of trials at Logan, the Gold Coast and Bundaberg, the government would now roll out the technology over a two-year period.

“Compared with standard signalised crossings, which use a timer, these smart crossings will use sensors to detect pedestrian movement and adjust the amount of time required to cross,” he said. “This means pedestrians can cross safely without having to rush, and for motorists it means less waiting when there are fewer pedestrians using the crossing. Importantly, these smart pedestrian crossing detectors can also hold left or right-turn red arrow signals, to protect pedestrians from turning vehicles.”

The state is investing AU$3m in the initiative.

Minister Bailey said about one third of all pedestrian fatalities and hospitalisations occurred at intersections. In 2018, pedestrians accounted for 35 fatalities. In addition, there were 228 hospitalised pedestrian casualties on Queensland roads between 1 January and 31 August 2018,.

The rollout of the upgrade program will begin later this year. Locations will be prioritised based on factors such as high traffic and pedestrian volumes, those used by mobility-impaired pedestrians and cyclists and crossings near hospitals.